Optical communication is becoming a much more prevalent way of transmitting data in computer and communications systems. One example of a system of modulating data for optical communication is a Mach-Zehnder modulation (MZM) system. A MZM system can implement a Mach-Zehnder interferometer to provide amplitude modulation of an optical signal based on a beam splitter that divides laser light into a plurality of paths to provide a relative phase modulation, such that changing the relative phase can determine whether the beams interfere constructively or destructively at a respective output to control an intensity of the optical output signal. The performance of an MZM system can be affected by a variety of factors, such as the environmental temperature change and arm length mismatch due to the fabrication variability. One such solution for tuning an MZM system is to adjust a temperature of the MZM system via a resistor implanted close to the photonic device to heat the waveguide of the interferometer, thus changing an associated refractive index. However, such a solution can result in a slower tuning speed based on a device thermal time constant that is limited, and thus necessitating longer calibration times, as well as degrading overall link power efficiency based on an increase in tuning power overhead.